Pick Your Rock and Metal

Friday, February 27, 2009

No Metallica for Fairyhouse

Don't Panic! As noted by comments to the previous post the venue for Metallica's Irish date has been switched to Marlay Park. Tickets will be on sale on March 10th and the supporting line-up will be confirmed/leaked around the same time - Linkin Park will definitely not be there...LoG and Mastodon being hotly tipped, but then again so are Bullet for My Valentine.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Thursday, February 19, 2009

In Flames tour cancelled

In Flames have cancelled their UK and Ireland tour, including the Mandella Hall gig. Stated reason is that guitarist Jesper Stromblad is in rehab and bassist Peter Iwers is about to become a father.

Refunds are available from original point of purchase.

Below is the statement from the band:

We are very sad to announce that the UK & Ireland tour will not happen as planned. As you already know, Jesper is currently at an alcohol rehabilitation clinic and is taking some time off to get better. Peter is about to become a dad. We obviously knew about Peter becoming a dad again and originally planned to have a replacement bassist, but with the recent events surrounding Jesper we simply feel that it is not fair on the fans to see a completely different line up, which in our eyes is not In Flames. Again, sorry to make any UK & Irish fans disappointed and we hope to make it up to you very soon! - In Flames

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Soundstone rock...Maiden score a Brit...and A&R reveals lazy secrets

A weird, weird time on Wednesday night's TV.

First Maiden score a Best Live Award at the Brits (a metal act getting a mainstream award...WTF!). To stay on the weird theme it was allegedly through BBC Radio 2. On the surface this could be because us long established metal bands such as Maiden are now regarded, like the old rockers of Jagger, Richards, Daltrey, Page, Plant et al as 'institutions' and not worthy of the cutting edge Radio 1 .

It could be many things, but the truth is that more Maiden fans sent emails to the Brits than the so-called fans of the other utter shite that was up for the award. [And more than a few readers of this blog...Bruce owes us all a pint or 6!]

Needles to say this one-off was not to be repeated and AC/DC didn't get their just reward, but then that would have meant critics would have had to admit that the ancient Aussies rock harder than any of the miming twats and superannuated losers (Bono, Weller?) on display.

That overly long rant is all I am going to say on the 'Brit' Awards, except to mention that having dipped in and out of it most of it was unmitigated shite.

A beer and Jack later UTV's news segued into their Live at The Limelight show...cue rant number two...

This was filmed seemingly an age ago. Presented by bubbly airheads and half informed reporters (you have no idea how many takes that first introduction took!) the show kicked off with Banbridge's Soundstone.

Having had the privilege of being there during filming it was a faithful record of an act who took a wee while to warm up during 'Devil' but really got going on 'My Crime'. Despite an awkward mix and unfamilar set-up Soundstone kept going and proved that with the right support they should be counted among the many deserving of a breakthrough from Northern Ireland's musical backwaters รก la The Answer.

Then....oh fucking dear my beating hard rock metal heart...a blonde presenter interviewed the blonde A&R woman from the 'record label'. Now I have many friends that are 'blonde'. I even number a few ginger-tops among my friends. But these two 'blondes' offered nothing of any substance and, were I to be so unkind, might even be said to be air-headed blondes that give the rest a bad name!

Worst still the A&R woman revealed why rock and metal have to go the long hard road before getting any success.

She tellingly revealed how her and her contemporaries picked acts...they looked at their myspace sites, looked at the band's top friends and then heaven help me went to a live night...and then hoped the band were radio fucking friendly!

Well as she and her ilk seem to be slow of thinking I suggest they do some real research rather than surfing for the next big thing on the 'net...unless they care to breeze by here of course.

Here's a wee starter for them as to where the cutting edge can really be found should they choose to do some research...

These figures are based on the Audit Bureau of Circulation figures. That is the trade body that monitors sales of printed outlets. Kerrang! sells 52,272 copies a week. Metal Hammer sells 50,269 copies a month. Classic Rock sells 70,188 copies a month. Even the sub-genre publication Terrorizer (and how I love the hidden gems on the Fear Candy covermount CD samplers) sells a healthy 13,788 copies a month.

At the same time that so-called cutting edge publication NME sells 48,459. The cutting edge for these bampots is more likely to be the mime induced mediocrity that pervades prime time TV, or Indie shoe-gazers.

Rock and metal has never been about a popularity contest, but the numpties, headcases, poseurs and empty headed programme chiefs, have neither the wit nor the wisdom to acknowledge that from the mega stars such as Maiden, Metallica, and DC, through to our local rock warriors like The Answer, M$R, A Little Bitter, Residual, Soundstone, and a hundred others, there is more talent, more originality, more commitment, and more loyalty from fans than the fickle prejudices of TV programme commissioners or London based A&R people will ever know.

Before leaving this rant...well it is a bit of a rant...it is worth noting that UTV commissioned this show as part of what is known as its Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) requirement. The regulator, Ofcom, required that ITV licence holding stations show a set amount of local produced PSB shows. UTV and others are no longer required to produce as many hours, so shows like this (which one suspects was only commissioned to licence requirements!) will never appear again.

Well done to Soundstone for reminding viewers that there are genuine acts out there; well done to Maiden's fans who voted, and come the revolution any A&R prat who hasn't signed a rock or metal act will be force fed Cannibal Corpse and Slayer CDs until they recant their evil ways!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

hard rock on the tele...stranger things have happened

Tune in to UTV tomorrow (Wednesday) night at 10.30 to see Soundstone rip up the stage with a three track set on 'Live at The Limelight!

Makes a change from the normal anodyne crap played on tele!

In the words of Adrian from Soundstone..."pure rock 'n' roll!"

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Bitter treat coming up

Holy Jebus! Quick note to say that A Little Bitter are to release theirt new album in coming weeks.

Returning to their roots

Download appears to be returning to its roots as a mainly hard rock and metal festival. Latest acts to be confirmed are Whitesnake and Def Leppard. Add into the mix headliners Heaven and Hell and Slipknot, and a line -up already including Motley Crue, Korn, Dragonforce, and Devildriver signs are that there will be a harder line-up than it has been for many a year now. Granted The Prodigy and Pendulum are also going to be there on the weekend June 12-14, but that gives a chance for a break to the beer tent!

Monday, February 09, 2009

'Tallica Knebworth date

Metallica's long touted Milton Keynes date has been confirmed for...Knebworth on Sunday August 2nd. Last time I was at Knebworth was in 1985 with Deep Purple's Perfect Strangers tour (UFO, Blackfoot, Meat Loaf and Mama's Boys on the bill....giving away my age here!), and I recall it as being one of the better festival venues in the UK.

But more importantly Metallica have seen fit to say they will definitely not be at Knebworth on Saturday August 1st...wonder if they could be setting up a date somewhere else in the British Isles that day...

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Don't panic - Soulfly still on

To all those in a panic about whether Soulfly's gig tonight will be affected by the adverse weather you can stop calling/texting and plaguing me. The promoter has just confirmed that Max and his merry band will definitely still be playing tonight at the Spring & Airbrakea. So get your asses along for the fun and warm yourself up with some metal on Ormeau Avenue.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Maiden Brits nomination

Okay, if you were going to pick the best live act would you pick Coldplay? Or the Verve? Even Scouting for Girls? If so you're on the wrong fucking site!

Iron Maiden have been nominated for 'Best British Live Act' in the forthcoming Brit Awards.
Other nominees are indeed saddoos Coldplay, shoegazers Elbow, indie shite Scouting for Girls and the average at best..The Verve

As said on the Iron Maiden official post:

"So this is a GREAT opportunity for us to show the power and popularity of metal by voting for Maiden. Over the years the Brits have rarely included anyone from the Metal fraternity so this is a chance to make our voices heard

"Voting closes this Saturday 7th February at 5pm GMT, so go cast your vote now at http://www.brits.co.uk/vote".

Couldn't agree more, make the Brits cower down to the might of metal! As was once said in Northern Ireland politics...vote early, vote often!

Gojira Support slots

Supports for Gojira's 15th March show at The Limelight are officially confirmed as Pilgrimz (first on) and The Eyes of A Traitor...gonna be loud night.

Fuck fhe credit crunch...it's time to rock

THE dark clouds of economic misery, the global recession, the gloom of plunging exchange rates...well fuck that! It's time to rock!

Get ready for a stomping badass start to February. On Thursday the Soulfly tribe lands in town with Max's merry crew ready to rattle the rafters at the Spring & Airbrake as they bring the power of new platter Conquer to bear on unsuspecting ears.

Friday, you can take a wee breather if you fancy the less intense garage grooves of The Datsuns, also at the Spring & Airbrake. At the same time Two Tales of Woe are at the Rosetta supporting a Sabbath tribute band.

By Saturday the Distortion Project rocks Ormeau Avenue with No Grace Given and Dead Angels. Later Condemned are at Lavery's.

As if this all wasn't serious enough Sunday has the city being laid waste by Lamb of God at the Mandella Hall (support from Mass Extinction and the much touted Five Finger Death Punch).

Drawn a breath...well you'll need to catch more when Judas Priest, Megadeth and Testament tear down the Odyssey on the 11th.

Yep, six weeks into 2009 and already it's shaping up to be a vintage year for hard rock and 'eavy fuggin' metal!